Dangerous

“Christians should be troublemakers, creator of uncertainty, agents of a dimension incompatible with society.” – Jacques Ellul

“I am convinced that if we lose kids to the culture of drugs and materialism, of violence and war, it’s because we don’t dare them, not because we don’t entertain them. It’s because we make the gospel too easy, not because we make it too difficult.”
I think if you asked my closest friends, "dangerous" is not a vocabulary word they would use to describe me. In fact, just by looking at me anyone would think that I am the most unintimidating person ever. I stand 4'10'' and pretty much look like my friends children when I stand next to them or sit on their lap or they swing me around. None the less people have told me that I am intimidating. At first, this really upset me. I used to be really concerned about making other people comfortable until I entered college. Then I ran into life and realized that it isn't supposed to be safe and comfortable. Life is meant to be lived and it is our given time to be challenged. And if I can be used to challenge people then so be it. Sometimes other people need to be hit with life as well. As a result I ended up emerging from my cocoon as this little firecracker who will go off if need be, not in a mean way, but in a blunt and forceful way none the less. Everyone generally knows what my opinion is on large issues on life - it isn't a secret.
Driving down to NC I was thinking about how some people see Christians as passive and boring. My life is a far cry from boring. The lives of those around me are a far cry from this as well, so where did this perception come from? Complaisantancy. The people I surround myself with are not complacent people. We don't just sit around. We read and discuss and dig around in the mess of life and extend the hand of Christ to those who have fallen. We LIVE life. Life is meant to be lived. Christ LIVED life. So if we are called to be Christ-like what do you think that means? It does not mean being passive because Jesus was active in the lives of others.
Here is a thought - living life is its own entertainment. In fact, if you truly place yourself out there for others you are probably going to end up with more then what you counted on. Seriously though, teach the youth to be part of each other and to be part of this radical and dangerous thing that Christianity is. Show them what it was in the Bible - how Christians were stoned, chased out of town, breaking the rules of the religious leaders, being surrounded by thousands of people, SEEING THE RISEN CHRIST, healing people. And if this doesn't shake them - which when did the text of the Bible stop exciting us??? - then show them what Christians are doing outside of America today. Healing people, helping the deathly ill die with dignity, touching leapers, being stoned to death, having to hide churches because of persecution. Maybe we need to be persecuted again in order to make Christianity in America mean something...or maybe we just need to start looking outside of ourselves and living dangerously again.